Thanks from the heart

Today is August 01st. People all over the world celebrate today for 2 reasons - One being a Sunday and the second one being the world celebrating FRIENDSHIP DAY..

Personally, I dont really believe in all these "Days"- Sister day, Father's day, Mother's day et al. But from another stand point, I see this as a very big marketing opportunities for bigs such as Archies, Hallmark etc. Because presence of a friend is for life and you dont need to thank them on one single day...

I understand from some sites that this concept began in the US in 1935. Nevertheless, it has been commercialized so well that the bigs have made whole lot of money. When I say I dont buy in to this concept, I do not mean that I dont have friends.

I have whole loads of friends right from my friends in KG to 12th, to MBA, to work spot, violin etc. Many are friends for life.

Taking this as the right occasion, I wish to thank each and everyone who have made a big impact in my life by your acquaintance turning out to be friendship.

Like there is a saying "The smallest moments shared with friends bring us the brightest joys".

I wish each and everyone a very happy friendship day!!!!
Special thanks (12th friends) to

GS - mom of 2, an amazing singer with her mellifluous voice and a great friend,

VSB - a mom of 2 and an inspiration for me for her balancing household chores and office and making delicious recipes,

PS - soft spoken, caring.
Rad, Shree - you mean a whole lot for me... You know and in addition - (we wish each other during Sep end when our birthdays fall)
My friends in MBA - LV, SP, RR aka WD, SM - you guys have made me feel very very young at heart.
My violin friends - RS, BS, DS, AS,RVR - You have created a perfect symphony ;-) to our friendship.
All my other friends, I thank you all for being there in my life

Football fever that lasted for about 30 days

South Africa, a nation known for many good things just added one more to its cap by successfully hosting this year's world cup. A game that glued millions to their seat and stay awake to watch their favorite players. The game started with 32 teams on June 11th and ended with 2 teams on July 11th with SPAIN clinching the title.

I was thinking how I got attracted to this game. The answer came to me as 'my parents'. Thanks to my parents particularly my father (who has been a footballer himself & played in College matches in 50s). He keeps telling the fellow viewers watching TV on the fouls/ missed chances/ corners that a Forward/Defense/Midfielder does. Wait.. Did I tell all the positions? yes. Taking words from him and getting inspired I started following this sport. I stop by here (on me watching) just by making a comment - Every parent should motivate their ward (boy or girl) to get associated with some sports other than cricket. Say Basket ball or Football or Tennis. India can produce lots of Jordans, Villas and Nadels.

I still wonder why due attention and motivation is not given to this wonderful game. Today if at all, football is known in India, its primarily due to the playing states - Kerala, WB and Goa out of 27 states in India. Thats about 10 percent. All the other states love and watch football. Thanks to Mohun Began and East Bengal teams and Santosh trophy - still football is alive. It is a known fact that the past history of Indian football was not all that gloomy and bright. There are lots of FB associations in India with the same (torch) bearers in the post doing nothing.

Adding to it, is the dirty politics that exists in every sports. The government can step in to promote this game by providing extrinsic motivation, proper infrastructure, have excellent coaches like Dunga? Whynot? When cricket can have a foreign player as their manager, why not Football? Afterall, its money and passion. The quality of the game should come a long way.

Professionally managed associations (no Government interference) to oversee the selection of players, giving them intense training etc. The task is challenging by a doable one. We can definitely make the 2 time Asia cup winner to play in WC.

Government, are you listening? All it takes is to allocate 10 percent of the money you spend towards promoting CRICKET to FOOTBALL. India will SHINE!

Technology and Mind

Technology makes people lazy? - True / False..

Leaving to individual's opinion. I feel it kind a makes people lazy and dependent on it.

Until seven years back, I had never heard of cell phones or possessed one. If anyone conveys their contact number to me, it was a customary practice for me to either register it in my mind (Had a little memory power that time ;) .. or pen down in a paper and immediately transfer it to a diary. Interestingly, many people nowadays look at their cell phones for their own number of their residence number. It makes me wonder with surprise as to how people could not register in their mind a small 8 digit number. What if you do not have cell phone with you in case of emergency or that you want to call home? I see a higher dependency factor here. I feel people should learn to live without gadgets or live with fundamental non-electronic, non-electrical gadget called paper and pen. What was thought to be an emergency item or an essential item is now a luxury item. Where will this type of technology lead people to? Will it make people lazy?

Having said this, the addiction towards social networking sites is also to be considered. I begin to feel that people (any age as long as you are a user of that SN site) do not know the real meaning and purpose of social networking sites. What are they meant for? What do people get to see? What is the privacy level? What are the related hazards to it? etc. Having asked so many questions, I myself being an active member of couple of SN sites except that I have clear limits in disclosing any information.

This began to rule my mind and a spark came that what if I live without it for sometime? Will I lose anything? Well the answer was a search for controling my mind. Thus began my MCE - Mind Control Exercises. To begin with, I decided to stay away from electronic gadgets for 24 hours christened as E-GAP - Electronic- Gadgets Abstinence Program. Thanks to my friend who coined this term for me. Initially tough for an hour or so. I slowly diverted my mind. At the end of 24 hours, my crazy or affection or dependency - whatever you call it faded away in toto. Even after 24 hours I was not inclined to watch TV - where favorite teams were playing. I guess its all in the mind.

The second program was away from Facebook or similar networking sites. This time around I decided I will go on for 48 hours. As of now, going on well :).

If someone asks me what would be your happiest / peaceful day in your life - my answer certainly would be

A day - A peaceful, serene environment with birds chirping, greeneries, and with a beautiful set of books - be it sci-fi - Matthew Reilley or Michael Crichton or authors like David Baldacci or Jeffrey Archer or our own beautiful writer Sujatha Rangarajan's books. Added to it would be a minimal food to feed my tummy and bottles of plain drinking water to quench my thirst. You live that life for 12 hours. I bet that day would be the HAPPIEST DAY IN LIFE.

Any views, please comment. Thanks!!

Kutty kutty thoughts on instructions

Here are some situations which really kinda made me wonder! Thanks to technology too.

Generally I see people tending for instructions when it comes to directions or dining at restaurants etc. There are very few who make genuine effort to figure out. Suppose we decide to meet up and say lets meet at ABC and it is located on Road and landmark A. This landmark is very very prominent in the city. Now isnt it easier to reach the place..

The questions related to this typically are!

1. Is it on the LHS or RHS? (No equations here)

2. What would be the color of the board? will it be visible or not?

3. How far should I go from that landmark to reach that place?

4. Will it come as soon as I cross the signal or should I take any U turns there? so on and so forth.

These generation people are so pampered and protected and that they are given directions so clearly with all the aforesaid questions answered in the directions to reach the place. Many dont take that small extra bend in life in figuring out or asking people / shops in the nearby location and get there.

This really annoyed me and I was reminded of one incident - (Not comparing here). When I was searching for job in mid 90s, I hardly knew the city of Chennai (then Madras) and I was new to Chennai. Haven't even had the luxury of stopping by or taking shelter in 3 /5 star restaurants due to rains. I was given one address called Poes Garden (dont remember the door number) for a job requirement. I figured out the way to get to Poes garden from West Mambalam and enquired some 7 - 8 people to get to that location(We never had the luxury of Google Maps). I am really wondering why people these days dont take small efforts to just ask people for directions. Female readers dont mistake me. I have observed this more in women than men. I genuinely would like to understand the possible reasons. Again I am not accusing one gender alone. This case is there in both men and women except that the ratio is different.

Also, everything is set for them.. Is it a good thing for this generation?? Should parents allow girls to learn by observing or teach them? Seriously I do not know. All I could say is No doubt the present generations (Generations X or Y or whatever) are street smart and are very clear in knowing what they want. Its great to have that clarity at very young age. Certainly it helps!!!. At the same time, I feel everything is provided to them. They do not learn to search for it. Having said that, should we blame the parents, society, technology?

Readers, please share your views, comments / opinions.. This is not to hurt anyone.. Just my views.

AJSS for a grand finale

Again my feelings on AJSS.

It has been about 11 to 12 months of continuous singing for the kids. Day and Night rehearsals, takes.. Cherishing moments, surprising prizes, disappointments, dramatic exits so on and so forth...

Now AJSS has reached a final stage where 4(now it has become 5) strong contestants are pitted against each other to find the "chella kural"... I guess Chitra and Mano would have had 2- 3 full weeks of rest before they appear before the audience on Jun 17th..

Srikanth - a whizkid/prodigy definitely. He has innate potential to grasp each and every lines / sangathis of any song and above all singing without fear at that age is not an easy task.

Coming to the new rule of bringing in the 5th contestant when there was no need at all... This is the point of difference for me and am not able to accept this being called as 'unbiased' approach. Ever since AJSS reached a mid - stage, somehow I have been having a feeling of showing biased approach(which I shared earlier).

This is my view point...

I am beginning to feel if this is to appease judges, and the sponsorors. Personally, I do not buy in to the concept of voting which definitely is not a transparent medium of selecting. This is just a small math - Assuming I have a continuous Internet connectivity and I log to the mentioned site and keep clicking on a favourite person a full day, it would result in generating at least 10000 votes. If I do it for 2 - 3 days, it goes to 30k votes. The real way of judging the kids talent vanish at this point. I strongly feel that there should be a transparent way of selecting the xth contestant in a highly TRP ranked and highly popular reality show like AJSS. I feel in the wild card round, Srinisha and Priyanka sang really well than Nityashri.

Seeing all this, I would really not be surprised if the promoters and the sponsorors have already decided the winner and the finals is conducted more as a formality show!!. Lets see if the finals throws surprises in selecting new finalists Nityasri or Srikanth or the already in the finals - Roshan, Alka or Shravan.. But may the real talent steal the show. Got to wait till the 17th..

A wonderful darshan

Recently I visited the holy shrine of Lord Balaji at Tirumala. I was so stunned and was extremely apprehensive in climbing 16 kilometers and around 4500 steps. I saw so many hundreds of visitors climbing steps (Guess they might have been used to).. Although I was doubtful if I could climb steps because of my health, I still decided to make an attempt. This was the first time. The climate was too good (in the early morning).. So many shops and resting places on the way. The TTD has constructed so many resting spots for the benefit of people who climb seven hills - Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri,Anjanadri, Vrushabadri,Narayanadri, Venkatadri.

It took little less than 4 hours and about half of total steps were steep. But what was surprising is that I never felt the tiredness, nor experienced any pain in my leg post darshan. There are many petty shops where they sell Soda, Lemonade, Tetrapacks, Aerated drinks and drinking water in addition to peanuts, etc... Salute to the TTD administration for making this easy experience. More than that I had the wondeful darshan of lord balaji. What is also interesting is that beyond a certain point, you can see Vishnu Sahasranamam engraved that helps the visitors recite and climb.

One must (at least once) climb the sacred hills to enjoy the darshan and get the blessings of Lord Venkateswara.

Aazhwar Paasurams

On a fine Sunday morning, there was a request from my mother to play some songs she wanted to listen to and as usual my question back to her was 'What song do you want me to play?'. Her natural choice of musicians are real stalwarts (jambhavaans). Even before she could answer the stupid(!) question, I played in Windows Media Player.. Along with my amma, I listened to MS singing in a Ramanavami festival in AIR (guess it was in 1971). I was deeply attracted to 2 songs she sang - Periazhwar Paasuram and Bhavayami Raghuramam (both Raagamaligai).

All Paasurams are amazing to listen to. This paasuram she sang was from Nineth Thirumozhi. This thirumozhi (of 10 hymns) narrates the greatness of Rama and Krishna in the form of 2 thozhi(girls) conversation. I am sure it would take janmas to understand the beauty of the hymns...